In rough year, NYC-area rail has high on-time rate

Saturday

Sep 28, 2013 at 5:37 PM

The AP

NEW YORK | The nation's second-busiest commuter railroad has had a rocky ride this year. A collision, a freight-train derailment and now a power problem have disrupted the Metro-North Railroad and spurred complaints that Metro-North is trouble-plagued. But statistics from the country's seven busiest commuter railroads show Metro-North boasts among the highest on-time arrival rates, about 96 percent so far this year.Tell that to the people packing highways and boarding shuttle buses this week after a high-voltage feeder line failed and hobbled part of Metro-North's line between New York City and Connecticut. Officials including Connecticut's governor say Metro-North's recent disruptions aren't just travel headaches but economic threats. A spokeswoman for operator the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says Metro-North has had "a horrible year" but still provides excellent service most of the time.